Swimming pool frame assembly



Aug. 30,, 1966 J. DIEMOND ETAL SWIMMING POOL FRAME ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1965 INVENTORS JOSEPH DIEMOND MELVIN Y GERSHMAN BY NORBERT A. VANGSNESS ATTORNEY Aug. 30, 1966 J. DIEMOND ETAL 32%,917

, SWIMMING POOL FRAME ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 6JOSEPH DIEMOND MELVIN Y. GERSHMAN BY NORBERT A. VANGSNEESS ATTORNEY .operating pairs of horizontal support members.

3,268,917 SWIMMING P001, FRAME ASSEMBLY Joseph Diemond, East Hartford, and Melvin Y. Gershman,

West Hartford, Conn, and Norbert A. Vangsness, Longmeadow, Mass, assignors, by mesue assignments, to

Coleco Industries, Inc, Hartford, (Jenn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 3, H65, Ser. No. 485,009 17 Claims. (Cl. 4-172) The present invention relates to swimming pools and more particularly to a novel frame assembly for a swimming pool of the type having a flexible liner supported by a peripheral frame.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel frame assembly for supporting a flexible swimming pool liner which is rigid and rugged in assembly and which may be relatively easily assembled.

It is another object of this invention to provide such an assembly which may be manufactured relatively economically and rapidly by conventional forming methods.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide such an assembly utilizing interlocking of the components to enhance the rigidity and speed of erection of the assembly.

Other related aims and advantages will be readily apparent from the following detailed specification and claims and the attached drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a swimming pool utilizing the novel frame assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view to an enlarged scale of the frame assembly of the swimming pool illustrated in FIGURE 1 with elements shown in phantom line and broken away to reveal internal construction;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along the line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the frame assembly.

It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects may be readily attained in a novel frame assembly used in a swimming pool of the type having a liner member of flexible, relatively waterproof sheet material providing a bottom wall portion .and a sidewall portion extending about the periphery of the bottom wall portion. The frame assembly includes a generally vertical support panel about the exterior periphery of the liner sidewall portion .and closely adjacent thereto to provide horizontal support therefor. Extending in end-to-end relationship about the upper edge of the support panel and liner sidewall portion are a plurality of cooperating, elongated horizontal support members which have a top wall portion and a depending inner sidewall portion extending therealong and providing a shoulder adjacent the upper edge portion of the support panel to align the panel and limit movement thereof. Generally vertical support members extend outwardly of the support panel and inner sidewall portions of the horizontal support members and underlie the adjacent end portions of co- A horizontal seating surface portion extends across the upper ends of the vertical support members, and depending retaining elements on the end portions of the horizontal support members engage therewith. Cover members overlie the end portions of the horizontal support members and have retaining means therein which engage with the vertical and horizontal support members to provide a firm assembly therewith.

Although the retaining elements may be provided in the end portions of the horizontal support members alone by staking or by separate elements, a highly preferred construction therefor includes a separate locking member which overlies the end portions and has depending elements such as integrally formed lugs or separate elements which extend through apertures in the end. portions to engage in the seating surface portion. Most desirably in the preferred construction, additional retaining elements are provided on the horizontal support members also adjacent the apertures therein and these extend in closefitting relationship and cooperate with the depending retaining elements on the locking member to seat snugly in the seating apertures of the seating portion of the vertical support members.

Although the sidewall panel may be provided by a plurality of separate wall panels defining the periphery, the firm support provided by the frame assembly enables the utilization of a continuous length of relatively rigid sheet material which may be coiled, such as corrugated metal. As used herein the term support panel includes both a plurality of separate panels and a continuous length of sheet material.

In accordance with desirable practice, the outer edge of the liner sidewall portion is folded over the upper edge of the sidewall panel and secured thereon by a preattached coping of semi-rigid material dimensioned to bear tightly against the faces of the sidewall panel. A steel coping strip is then fitted over the preattached coping strip to protect the plastic elements and cooperate with the remaining elements to provide a rigid assembly.

The sidewall panel is also aligned, supported, and secured against movement by a plurality of lower support rails or base members which extend in end-to-end relationship about the bottom of the sidewall portion of the liner. The lower rails are desirably arcuate to conform to the shape of the sidewall panel and have a channel which receives the bottom edge portion of the sidewall panel, thereby aligning the panel and restraining it from horizontal movement. The base members also have seating recesses opening upwardly thereof which snugly receive the lower end portions of the vertical support members.

In accordance with preferred construction, the base members are provided by support elements and locking elements which telescopically receive and hold in alignment the support elements. Both have a channel in the top thereof to receive the lower edge portion of the sidewall panel and the locking and support elements have an aperture in the top wall thereof to seat the vertical support members. The locking and support elements most desirably have cooperating seating aperture portions which are aligned so that the lower end portions of the vertical support members when seated therein lock the elements against relative horizontal movement.

To provide firm vertical engagement, a flange on the lower locking element abuts the outer wall of the post and a threaded fastener secures the post to the locking element. The side walls of the vertical support members have deflecta'ble finger portions projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom and connected thereto at their lower ends. The finger portions are deflectable toward the sidewalls during insertion of the support members into the seating recesses and engage behind the inner surface of the top wall portion of the locking element to restrain the vertical support members from vertical movement within the recesses of the lower rails.

The horizontal support members are most desirably of channel-shaped configuration so as to provide both inner and outer depending sidewall portions, and the outer sidewall portion curves downwardly and inwardly to provide a relatively rigid support member and terminates in a vertically extending planar portion. The ends of the horizontal support members are cut .at an angle so that the adjacent ends abut evenly along the straight line whereby each upper rail forms a chord of a circle around the sidewall portion of the liner.

The cover members most desirably are provided by pairs of elements having overlapping top wall portions and a depending side-wall portion. They are superimposed upon the locking members and the one cover element has a depending inwardly curved portion which flexibly engages the outer curved sidewall portion of the horizontal support member. The other cover element has a depressed top wall portion adjacent its end which is overlapped by a portion of the outer retaining member to provide a generally planar surface and the depending sidewall portion thereof has a horizontal lip adjacent its free end which abuts against the bottom of the horizontal support members so that the cover members are firmly engaged. A threaded fastener extends through the overlapping portions, the looking plate and horizontal support members to engage in the seating surface of the vertical support member, and another threaded fastener extends through the planar portion of the outer sidewall portion and into the vertical support member, thus providing a securely locked assembly.

Referring now in detail to the attached drawings, a generally circular swimming pool utilizes the frame assembly of the present invention in combination with a liner member generally designated by the numeral and fabricated from flexible, waterproof synthetic plastic sheet material having a bottom wall portion 12 and a sidewall portion 14 extending about the periphery thereof. A generally cylindrically shaped side wall panel '16 extends around the exterior periphery of the liner sidewall portion 14 and is closely adjacent thereto to provide relatively rigid horizontal support against the pressure of water 18 in the pool and distortion by sudden pressures occurring during use. In this embodiment, cylindrical sidewall panel 6 is made from a strip of sheet material, which is relatively rigid but coilable such as corrugated sheet metal, and has the ends thereof fastened by a connecting member (not shown).

The upper edge of the liner sidewall portion 14 is folded over the upper edge of the side wall panel 16 and secured thereon by the channel-shaped coping 20 of semi-rigid synthetic plastic material such as synthetic plastic which is preattached thereto and dimensioned to hear tightly against the interior and exterior surfaces of the side wall panel 1 6 through the material of the liner sidewall portion '14. A channel-shaped steel coping strip 22 is fitted snugly over the preattached coping strip 20 and further secures the liner 10 to the side wall panel "1 6 and provides additional stiffness to the upper edge thereof.

The side wall panel 16 is aligned and secured against movement by a plurality of base rails or members and horizontal support rails or members, generally designated by the numerals 24 and 26 respectively, which extend in end-to-end relationship about the sidewall portion 14 of the liner member 110. The base rails 24 have inner and outer side wall portions 28 and 30 and upper and lower wall portions 32 and 34, respectively, and are generally arcuate to form a circle corresponding to the shape of cylindrical side wall portion 14 and side wall panel 16. The upper wall portions 32 extend from the outer sidewall portions 30 and terminate inwardly from the inner sidewall por-.

tions 28 to provide elongated aligned channels 36 which extend longitudinally along the base rails 24 which receive the lower edge portions of the side wall panel 16 to align and limit movement thereof. The upper wall portion '32 of the base rails 24 is bent downwardly adjacent the free edge thereof to provide an inwardly extending flange portion 37 which rigidifies the upper wall portion 32 and provides a firmer horizontal support in the channels 36 against which the side wall panel 16 bears.

The end portions of adjacent base rails 24 are telescopically received and held in alignment by aligning or locking elements generally designated by the number 50. The elements '50 have a bottom wall portion '52, an inner side wall portion '54 and two spaced outer side wall portions 56 extending upwardly from the bottom wall portions 52 to hold the base rail members 24 in horizontal alignment. 'I wo spaced top wall portions 58 extend horizontally inwardly from the upper edge of the outer side wall portions 56 and terminate inwardly of the inner side wall portion 54 to provide a channel 60 for receiving the side wall panel 16. The top edge of the inner sidewall portion 54 has a reversely bent lip portion 55 which provides a channel in which the top edge portion of the inner sidewall portions 28 of the base rails 24 to restrain the base rails 24 from vertical movement while telescopically received within the locking elements 50. A generally L-shaped mounting flange 62 adjacent the center of locking element 50 extends outwardly and upwardly from the bottom wall portion 52 so as to be spaced outwardly from the outer sidewall portions 56.

A plurality of vertical support members or posts generally designated by the numeral 70 are of generally U-shaped cross-section and have generally parallel sidewall portions 72 connected by an outer wall or web por tion 76. The lower end portions of the sidewall portions 72 extend into the seating recesses between the top wall portions 58 of the locking elements 50 and through the slots 78 in base rails 24 thereby retaining the adjacent base rails 24 within the locking elements 50 to prevent substantially relative horizontal movement therebetween. The lower portion of the outer wall 76 abuts against the inside face of flange 62 of the locking element 50 and a self-tapping sheet metal screw 80 extends through the aperture 82 in flange 62 and engages within the aperture 84 in the outer wall 76 to secure the post 70 to the locking elements 50. Deflectable fingers 86 are staked from the side walls 72 and extend outwardly and upwardly therefrom so as to abut against the under surface of the upper wall portion 32 so as to restrain the posts 70 from vertical movement within the slots 78 of the base rails 24. On the upper end of the posts 70 are seating plates or members with two depending side portions 102 which have inwardly turned flanges 104 extending inwardly therefrom and fitting snugly into apertures 106 in the side walls 72 to retain the seating members 100 on the posts 70.

The horizontal support members or upper rails 26 are generally rectilinear along their length and have a depending inner sidewall portion 38 which is reversely bent to provide a shoulder for engagement with the inner surface of the steel coping strip 22 to provide lateral support for the side wall panel 16 and the liner 10 so that these members are restrained from moving inwardly. The upper rails 26 also have an outer sidewall portion 40 which curves downwardly and inwardly and has an inwardly extending 'L-shaped flange at its free end providing a relatively rigid support member and a seat without sharp edges for users of the pool. The posts 70 fit snugly into the channels between the inner and outer sidewall portions 38, 40 along with the side wall panel 16 and the sidewall portion 10 and the coping elements 20, 22. The upper rails 26 have their ends cut at an angle so that the adjacent ends abut evenly along a straight line and each rail 26 forms a chord of a circle around the. sidewall POI- tion 14.

Overlying the end portions of abutting upper rails 26 are looking plates or members 911 which have two pairs of depending leg portions 92 with horizontally extending arm portions 93 therebetween at each side thereof. Each looking member 99 straddles the junction between two adjacent upper rails 26 and each pair of depending leg portions 92 at each side pass through one of two apertures 9 1' in each of the adjacent upper rails 26 whereby the upper rails are held in abutting alignment. A V-shaped groove 96 in the bottom surface of locking plates 90 seats on elongated ridges 98 on each of adjacent upper rails 24 for aligning the locking plates 99 thereon. The depending leg portions or retaining elements 92 are received in a pair of aligned, elongated apertures 1638 on each side of the seating plate 1% so that the upper rails 26 and locking members 90 are retained in horizontal alignment on the posts 70. A pair of legs or retaining elements 95 are formed from the top wall portion of the top rail 26 to provide the apertures 94 and depend therefrom adjacent the apertures 94 and are also disposed in the elongated apertures 198 of the seating plate 106). The retaining elements 92, 95 and apertures are dimensioned to provide a snug assembly and thus secure the upper rails 26 in horizontal alignment on the posts 79. Self-tapping sheet metal screws 114 disposed in spaced apertures 11% in the locking member 90 and in the aligned apertures 1 .19 in each of the adjacent upper rails 26, are engaged in the apertures 115 in the seating plate 109 and retain the locking members 90 and the two adjacent upper rails 26 in engagement with the seating members 1% and the posts 79.

A pair of overlapping outer and inner cover elements 110 and 116 overlie the locking members 90 and the abutting end portions of adjacent upper rail members 26. The outer retaining member 110 has a depending inwardly curved outer sidewall portion 112 which flexibly engages the curved sidewall portions 411 of the adjacent upper rails 26. A flange portion 121 depends from the end of the curved sidewall portion 112 so that its inner surface abuts against the outer wall 76 of the post 72 and a self-tapping sheet metal screw 122 extends through an aperture 123 in the sidewall portion 121 and engages in the aperture 124 in the outer wall 76, thereby securing the outer cover element 110 to the post 70.

The inner cover element 116 has a depressed portion 117 which is overlapped by the outer cover element 110 so as to provide a substantially flush surface. A sidewall portion 118 on the inner cover element 116 has an inwardly extending lip portion 120 at the free end thereof engaged with the sidewall portion 38 so that the inner cover element 116 is restrained from vertical movement on the upper rail 26. The cover element 110 has depending flanges 12 5 along its side edges for restraining the inner cover element 116 from horizontal movement and providing a neat appearance. The inner cover element 116 has depending flanges 127 along its sides which have notches therein which receive the arms 93 of the locking member 90 to prevent relative horizontal movement.

A threaded fastener 126 is disposed in an aperture 128 in the outer cover element 119 and extends through the aligned elongated aperture 131 in the inner cover element 1 16. The fastener 126 also extends through the aligned aperture 132 in the locking member 90 and through the notch-out portions 134 and engages in each of the adjacent upper rails 26 and engages in the nut 136 retained in the square aperture 138 in the center portion of the seating member 100 whereby these parts are retained in engagement with the post 70.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, a channel 140 is formed between the outer face of the sidewall portion 36 of the upper rails 26 and the inner edge portions 142 of the side walls 72 of the posts 70. The inner edges 142 have internal flange portions 144 to form a surface which cooperates with the sidewall portion 38 to retain firmly the steel coping strip 22, side wall panel 16 and the sidewall portion 14- and attached coping 20.

As well be readily appreciated, the frame assembly provided by the channel-like cross-section of the lower rails, the flanged upper rails and the vertical posts provide a support of great strength and rigidity with a minimum of material and may be easily formed from sheet metal. The support members are quickly and easily interchangeab-le for others of the same category and are retained in assembly by means of integrally formed portions on the several elements, and easily inserted fasteners, thus minimizing and need for separately formed expensive fittings.

In assembling the pool, two adjacent lower rails 24 may be quickly telescopically inserted into a locking element 50 and the post 70 may be easily inserted in the slots 78 of the lower rails and sea-ting recess of the locking element 59 to restrain the several elements from relative horizontal movement while the fingers 8 6 are curved inwardly during insertion and lock Within the rails 24 to limit vertical movement. Thereafter the insertion of the screw locks the vertical support post 70 to the locking element 59, thus providing a rapidly assembled but firm joint.

The side wall panel 16 is formed into a cylinder and its ends engaged by a locking member (not shown) and the lower horizontal edge portion is easily inserted into the elongated channels in the lower rails 24 and locking elements 50. The liner 11 is then secured thereto by fitting over the side wall panel 16 the attached coping 20 and then the coping strip 22 to provide a firm and protected joint.

The support members 26 are seated on the vertical posts 70 and the locking plates are placed thereon with the leg portions 92 of the locking plates 90 extending through the apertures 94 in the rails 26 and snugly seating along with the leg portions of the rails 26 in the apertures 103 in the seating plate 100. The locking plate 90 is then firmly secured to the post 70 by inserting the screws 114 through the apertures 113 in the locking member 90 and the apertures 119 in each of the abutting upper rail portions 26 and into engagement in the apertures in the seating plate 100 so that the rails 26 are properly aligned and firmly secured to the seating plate 100 on the post 70. The steel coping strip 22, the liner 14, and the cylindrical side wall panel 16 fit snugly in the channel 140 between the inner sidewall portion 38 of the rails 26 and the inside edges 142 of the post 70, thus giving rigid support to the cylindrical side wall panel 16 and to the sidewall portions 14 of the liner 10.

The pairs of inner and outer cover elements 110, 116 are then engaged on the inner and outer sidewall portions of the upper rails 26 in overlapped relationship with their top surfaces in flush relationship. Thereafter they are firmly secured by the fastener 126 which passes through the locking plate 90 and rails 26 to seat in the seating plate 100 and by the fastener 122 which extends through the outer sidewall portion 121 and into the front: wall portion 76 of the post 70. In this manner, the entire assembly may be rapidly and firmly locked together while the inner and outer cover elements enhance the alignment and looking of the rail members and posts and also serve to cover the juncture between the two adjacent upper rail members to provide an attractive appearance and minimize the likelihood of injury to persons using the pool.

By utilization of horizontal support members 26 and base members 24 of different length and configuration, pools of varying radius may be constructed with the remaining structural elements of the frame assembly being employed throughout a range of diameters, as for example about 15 to 30 feet. The groove 96 in the locking plate 90 and the elongated aperture in the inner cover element 116 are designed to accommodate rail members 26 which abut at varying angles depending upon the size of the pool.

Accordingly, it can be seen that the present invention provides a novel swimming pool frame assembly which is quickly and easily assembled and which is rigid and rugged. The frame may be fabricated easily and relatively economically and is susceptible to a wide variety of designs and sizes.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. In a swimming pool of the type having a liner member of flexible, relatively waterproof sheet material providing a bottom wall portion and a sidewall portion extending about the periphery of said bottom wall portion, the combination therewith of a frame assembly for supporting said liner member including a generally vertical support panel about the exterior periphery of said liner sidewall portion and closely adjacent thereto to provide horizontal support for said liner sidewall portion; a plurality of cooperating elongated horizontal support members extending in end-to-end relationship about said liner member at the upper edge of said liner sidewall portion and support panel, said horizontal support members having a top wall portion and a depending inner sidewall portion extending therealong providing a shoulder adjacent the upper edge portion of said support panel to align said support panel and limit movement thereof; generally vertical support members at the adjacent end portions of cooperating pairs of horizontal support members, said vertical support members extending outwardly of said vertical support panel and said inner sidewall portions of said horizontal support members, said vertical support members having vertically extending wall portions and a horizontal seating surface portion at the upper end thereof, the end portions of said horizontal support members having depending retaining elements thereon engaged with said seating surface portion to limit horizontal movement of said horizontal support members relative to said vertical support members and to each other; and cover members overlying the end portions of said cooperating pairs of horizontal support members and having retaining means thereon engaged with said vertical and horizontal support members to provide a firm assembly therewith.

2. The swimming pool of claim 1 wherein said cover member comprises a pair of elements having a top wall portion and 2. depending sidewall portion, the top wall portions thereof overlapping above said horizontal support members and the sidewall portions thereof extending outwardly of said horizontal and vertical support members to define a channel therebetween receiving said members.

3. The swimming pool of claim 2 wherein said cover member retaining means are disengageable fastening means thereon engaging said seating surface portion of said vertical support members to provide a rigid assembly.

4. The swimming pool of claim 1 wherein said retaining elements on said end portions of said horizontal support elements include depending portions vformed on a locking member disposed thereabove and extending therethrough.

5. In a swimming pool of the type having a liner member of flexible, relatively waterproof sheet material providing a bottom wall portion and a sidewall portion extending about the periphery of said bottom wall portion, the combination therewith of a frame assembly for supporting said liner member including a generally cylindrical vertical support panel about the exterior periphery of said liner sidewall portion and closely adjacent thereto to provide horizontal support for said liner sidewall portion; a plurality of cooperating elongated horizontal support members extending in end-toend relationship about said liner member at the upper edge of said liner sidewall portion and support panel, said relationship about said liner member at the lower edge of said support panel, said base members having upwardly opening channels extending therealong snugly receiving the lower edge portion of said support panel for aligning said edge portion and limiting movement thereof, said base members providing seating recesses opening upwardly thereof; generally vertical support members at the adjacent end portions of cooperating pairs of horizontal support members, said vertical support members extending outwardly of said vertical support panel and said inner sidewall port-ions of said horizontal support members, said vertical support members having a horizontal seating surface portion at the upper end thereof, the end portions of said horizontal support members having depending retaining elements thereon engaged in said seating surface portion to limit horizontal movement of said horizontal support members relative to said vertical support members and to each other; said vertical support members having their lower end portions seated in said seating recesses of said base members; and cover members overlying the end portions of said cooperating pairs of horizontal support members and having retaining means thereon engaged with said vertical and horizontal support members to provide a firm assembly therewith.

6. The swimming pool of claim 5 wherein said base members include support elements and locking elements telescopically receiving the ends of adjacent support elements, said locking elements and said support elements having cooperating aperture portions therein providing said seating recesses, the lower end portions of said ver tical support members extending into said cooperating aperture portion to lock said elements against relative horizontal movement.

7. The swimming pool of claim 5 wherein said base members have bottom, inner, outer and top wall portions and wherein said top wall portions have apertures therein for providing said seating recesses and wherein the side walls of said vertical support members have deflectaible finger portions formed therefrom projecting upwardly and outwardly and connected thereto at their lower ends, the upper ends of said finger portions being engaged behind the inner surfaces of said top wall portions of said base members, said finger portion-s being defiectable towards the side walls of said vertical support members during insertion of said support members into said seating recesses.

8. In a swimming pool of the type having a liner member of flexible, relatively waterproof sheet material providing a bottom wall portion and a sidewall portion extending about the periphery of said bottom wall portion, the combination therewith of a frame assembly for supporting said liner member including a generally vertical support panel about the exterior periphery of said liner sidewall portion and closely adjacent thereto to provide horizontal support for said liner sidewall portion; a plurality of cooperating elongated horizontal support members extending in end-to-end relationship about said liner member at the upper edge of said liner sidewall portion and support panel, said horizontal support members having a top wall portion and a depending inner sidewall portion extending therealong providing a shoulder adjacent the upper edge portion of said support panel to align said support panel and limit movement thereof; generally vertical support members at the end portions of cooperating pairs of horizontal support members, said vertical support members extending outwardly of said vertical support panel and said inner sidewall portions of said horizontal support members, said vertical support members having a horizontal seating surface portion at the upper end thereof with spaced seating apertures therein; locking members overlying the end portions of cooperating pairs of adjacent horizontal support members, said locking members having depending retaining elements thereon extending through apertures in said end portions of said cooperating pairs of horizontal support members and into said seating apertures of said seating portions of said vertical support members to limit horizontal movement of said horizontal support members relative to said vertical support members and to each other; and cover members overlying the end portions of said cooperating pairs of horizontal support members and having retaining means thereon engaged with said vertical and horizontal support members to provide a firm assembly therewith.

9. The swimming pool of claim 8 wherein said horizontal support members have depending retaining elements thereon adjacent said apertures therein, said depending elements extending in close-fitting relationship with and cooperating with said depending elements of said locking member to seat snugly in said seating apertures of said seating portions of said vertical support members.

10. The swimming pool of claim 8 wherein said cover member comprises a pair of elements having a top wall portion and a depending sidewall portion, the top wall portions thereof overlapping above said locking members and the sidewall portions thereof extending outwardly of said horizontal and vertical support members to define a channel therebetween receiving said members.

11. The swimming pool of claim 10 wherein said cover member retaining means are disengageable fastening means thereon engaging locking members and said vertical support members to provide a rigid assembly.

12.. The swimming pool of claim 10 wherein said cover members have a threaded fastener extending through the overlapping top wall portions of said element of said cover members and through said locking members and engaging in said seating portion of said vertical support member and a second threaded fastener extending through the outer sidewall portions thereof and engaged with the front walls of said vertical support members.

13. In a swimming pool of the type having a liner member of flexible, relatively waterproof sheet material providing a bottom wall portion and a sidewall portion extending about the periphery of said bottom wall portion, the combination therewith of a frame assembly for supporting said liner member including a generally vertical support panel about the exterior periphery of said liner sidewall portion and closely adjacent thereto to provide horizontal support for said liner sidewall portion; a plurality of cooperating elongated horizontal support members extending in end-to-end relationship about said liner member at the upper edge of said liner sidewall portion and support panel, said horizontal support members having a top wall portion, depending inner and outer sidewall portions extending therealong providing a channel therebetween, said inner sidewall portion providing a shoulder adjacent the upper edge portion of said support panel to align said support panel and limit movement thereof; generally vertical support members at the end portions of cooperating pairs of horizontal support members, said vertical support members extending outwardly of said vertical support panel and into said channels formed between said outer side wall portions and said inner sidewall portions of said horizontal support members, said vertical support members having a horizontal seating surface portion at the upper end thereof with spaced seating apertures therein; locking members overlying the end portions of cooperating pairs of adjacent horizontal support members, said locking members having depending retaining elements thereon extending through apertures in said end portions of said cooperating pairs of horizontal support members and into said seating apertures of said seating port-ions of said vertical support members to limit horizontal movement of said horizontal support members relative to said vertical support members and to each other; and a pair of cover elements overlying said locking member, said cover elements each having a top wall portion and a depending sidewall portion with the top wall portions thereof overlapping above said locking member and the sidewall portions thereof extending outwardly of said inner and outer sidewall portions of said horizontal support members to cover the juncture between adjacent horizontal support members and said locking member, said cover elements having detachable fastening means thereon engaged with said seating surface portion to provide a rigid assembly.

14. In a swimming pool of the type having a liner member of flexible, relatively waterproof sheet material providing a bottom wall portion and a sidewall portion extending about the periphery of said bottom wall portion, the combination therewith of a frame assembly for supporting said liner member including a generally vertical support panel about the exterior periphery of said liner sidewall portion and closely adjacent thereto to provide horizontal support for said liner sidewall portion; a plurality of cooperating elongated horizontal support members extending in end-to-end relationship about said liner member at the upper edge of said liner sidewall portion and support panel, said horizontal support members having a top wall portion, depending inner and outer sidewall portions extending therealong providing a channel therebetween, said inner sidewall portion providing a shoulder adjacent the upper edge portion of said support panel to align said support panel and limit movement thereof; generally vertical support members at the end portions of cooperating pairs of horizontal support members, said vertical support members extending outwardly of said vertical support panel and into said channels formed between said outer sidewall portions and said inner sidewall portions of said horizontal support members, said vertical support members having a horizontal seating surface portion at the upper end thereof with spaced seating apertures therein; a plurality of cooperating elongated horizontal base members extending in end-to-end relationship about said liner member at the lower edge of said support panel, said base members having upwardly opening channels extending therealong snugly receiving the lower edge portion of said support panel for aligning said edge portion and limiting movement thereof, said base members providing seating recesses opening upwardly thereof, said vertical support members having their lower end portions seated in said seating recesses of said base members; locking members overlying the end portions of cooperating pairs of adjacent horizontal support members, said locking members having depending retaining elements thereon extending through apertures in said end portions of said cooperating pairs of horizontal support members and into said seating apertures of said seating portions of said vertical support members to limit horizontal movement of said horizontal support members relative to said vertical support members and to each other; and a pair of cover elements overlying said locking member, said cover elements each having a top wall portion and a depending sidewall portion with the top wall portions thereof overlapping above said locking member and the side wall po tions thereof extending outwardly of said inner and outer sidewall portions of said horizontal support members to cover the juncture between adjacent horizontal support members and said locking member, said cover elements having detacha'ble fastening means thereon engaged with said seating surface portion to provide a rigid assembly.

15. The swimming pool of claim 14 wherein said base members have bottom, inner, outer and top wall portions and wherein said top wall portions have apertures therein for providing said seating recesses and wherein the side walls of said vertical support members have deflectable finger portions formed therefrom projecting upwardly and outwardly and connected thereto at their lower ends, the upper ends of said finger portions being engaged behind the inner surfaces of said top wall portions of said base members, said finger portions being deflectable towards the side walls of said vertical support members during insertion of said support members into said seating recesses.

16. The swimming pool of claim 14 wherein said base members include support elements and locking elements telescopically receiving the ends of adjacent support elements, said locking elements and said support elements having cooperating aperture portions therein providing said seating recesses, the lower end portions of said vertical support members extending into said cooperating aperture portion to lock said elements against relative horizontal movement.

17. The swimming pool of claim 14 wherein said horizontal support members have depending retaining elements thereof adjacent said apertures therein, said depending elements extending in close-fitting relationship with and cooperating with said depending elements of said locking member to seat snugly in said seating apertures of said seating portions of said vertical support members.

References Cited by the Examiner LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SWIMMING POOL OF THE TYPE HAVING A LINEAR MEMBER OF FLEXIBLE, RELATIVELY WATERPROOF SHEET MATERIAL PROVIDING A BOTTOM WALL PORTION AND A SIDEWALL PORTION EXTENDING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BOTTOM WALL PORTION, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPORTING SAID LINER MEMBER INCLUDING A GENERALLY VERTICAL SUPPORT PANEL ABOUT THE EXTERIOR PERIPHERY OF SAID LINER SIDEWALL PORTION AND CLOSELY ADJACENT THERETO TO PROVIDE HORIZONTAL SUPPORT FOR SAID LINER SIDEWALL PORTION; A PLURALITY OF COOPERATING ELONGATED HORIZONTAL SUPPORT MEMBERS EXTENDING IN END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP ABOUT SAID LINER MEMBER AT THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID LINER SIDEWALL PORTION AND SUPPORT PANEL, SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT MEMBERS HAVING A TOP WALL PORTION AND A DEPENDING INNER SIDEWALL PORTION EXTENDING THEREALONG PROVIDING A SHOULDER ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT PANEL TO ALIGN SAID SUPPORT PANEL AND LIMIT MOVEMENT THEREOF; GENERALLY VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBERS AT THE ADJACENT END PORTIONS OF COOPERATING PAIRS OF HORIZONTAL SUPPORT MEM- 